The latest update
It’s giving major plot twist energy. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who was previously wrongfully deported by the Trump administration, is back in federal court this Tuesday. His legal team is fighting to block yet another attempt by the government to deport him—this time to Liberia.
A history of chaos
If you’re wondering how we got here, the backstory is highkey messy. Back in 2019, a judge blocked Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador over safety concerns regarding local gangs. Despite that order, the Trump administration still deported him there in March 2025. He was thrown into a massive Salvadoran prison before eventually being returned to the U.S. in June 2025 to face human smuggling charges—charges that were recently tossed out by a federal judge who slammed the DOJ for "vindictive" prosecution.
Why it matters
Now, the administration is eyeing Liberia as his new destination, even though Liberia isn’t his home country. Abrego Garcia has repeatedly asked to be sent to Costa Rica, which has already indicated it would grant him residency or refugee status. His lawyers are claiming the government is just trying to punish him for having the "audacity" to fight back against his initial wrongful deportation. Real talk: they argue if the government actually wanted him out, they would have sent him to his preferred country long ago. Instead, the administration is holding firm, leaving him in a legal limbo that is lowkey terrifying for anyone trying to navigate the system.
